Electronic control systems such as power plant control systems may include several control circuit boards, each with both active and passive devices thereon and further mounted to a mounting base. Several mounting bases, each with circuit board assemblies attached thereon, can further be mounted to a rail, such as a DIN rail. Typically the mounting is via mounting elements on the mounting bases. In such a configuration, the mounting bases and, therefore, the circuit boards are mounted in a linear fashion along the DIN rail. This allows for relatively dense packing of electronic control elements in a convenient form factor. The control systems may further be packaged in an enclosure.
The relatively high density of electrical components in these control systems may result in relatively high operating temperatures of the control systems, especially within the enclosures. There may also be relatively hot spots in proximity of active electronic devices on one or more of the circuit boards of the control systems, where it may be difficult to effectively remove heat. Such thermal considerations, in particular the relatively high operating temperatures, may have an overall bearing on the reliability and operating lifetime of the control systems. The thermal considerations may additionally have a bearing on the minimum form factor to which the systems can be designed, the maximum operating speeds, and the overall performance of the control systems.
In conventional mounting bases, heat generated by active and passive components on circuit boards may flow along the circuit boards, to the mounting bases, and then to the DIN rail via mounting elements, primarily by a thermal conduction mechanism.